Chapter 21: Confronting the Elder
To avoid drawing attention, Old Man Bei had placed Lin Feng in the wooded hills behind the outer disciple living quarters.
Lifting his foot, Lin Feng immediately headed toward Han Man's residence. As he passed his own room, he didn't even glance back.
"Lin Feng."
Just then, a voice called out. Lin Feng turned his head and saw that the door to his own room was wide open. Leaning against the doorframe was a person.
This sight made Lin Feng's pupils contract slightly. A room was a private space belonging to every sect disciple. He hadn't expected someone to brazenly break into his dwelling and lounge lazily in his room. What if he had secrets inside?
"Don't you know the sect rules forbid entering another person's room without permission?" Lin Feng's tone carried a hint of coldness. In his memory was this person—Hou Qing, ranked tenth among the outer disciples. He was also an outer sect enforcer. It was because of this identity that Lin Feng recognized him, and he recognized Lin Feng as well.
In Cloud Sea Sect, Mo Canglan, as the Great Elder, held a high position and was responsible for law enforcement. Under him were the sect's law enforcement personnel, spread throughout Cloud Sea Sect, including core enforcers, inner sect enforcers, and outer sect enforcers. Hou Qing was one of the outer sect enforcers.
Ordinarily, Hou Qing relied on his formidable strength and his status as an outer sect enforcer to bully other outer disciples. Lin Feng hadn't expected this guy to go so far this time, breaking into his room without permission, knowingly breaking the law.
"Of course I know the rules. But for a waste like you, that rule doesn't apply." Hou Qing's expression was lazy; he didn't even bother to look directly at Lin Feng. In his heart, he completely looked down on Lin Feng, a 'waste' at the Fifth Layer of Qi Martial Realm.
"Also, come with me now." Hou Qing added.
"I'm busy." Lin Feng lifted his foot. Han Man was still severely injured and waiting for his pills. As for Hou Qing... he would remember this.
"Oh?" Seeing that Lin Feng didn't even acknowledge him, Hou Qing was momentarily stunned. Then a cold gleam flashed in his eyes, and his figure vanished from where he stood.
A domineering gust of wind swept over, and a figure appeared in front of Lin Feng—it was Hou Qing.
Hou Qing was very satisfied with his movement technique, especially when he saw Lin Feng's brow furrow. He thought to himself that a waste was truly a waste, someone who had never seen the world.
"The sect elder wants to see you, and you still won't go?" Hou Qing looked at Lin Feng with a mocking expression, as if waiting for him to make a fool of himself.
"An elder wants to see me?" Lin Feng was somewhat surprised. Could it be about the Bell and Drum Precipice? No, Old Man Kong had told him not to spread the matter, and Old Man Bei naturally wouldn't either. Even if other elders found out, there was no way they would send Hou Qing to summon him. Besides, the timing was off.
But since an elder wanted to see him, Lin Feng had no reason to refuse.
"Wait for me a moment. I'll be right back." Lin Feng walked past Hou Qing, leaving him stunned again. This guy actually dared to make him wait even after hearing that an elder wanted to see him. He really didn't know his place. But thinking of the fate that awaited Lin Feng, Hou Qing decided not to argue over this small amount of time.
Lin Feng quickly arrived at Han Man's room. Without a word, he took out three pills and directly fed them into Han Man's mouth. Then he waited by the side.
"Lin Feng, did you really go to Heaven's Edge Cliff?" Jing Yun looked at Lin Feng with confusion.
Lin Feng nodded. He didn't want to lie to Jing Yun, but thinking of Old Man Kong's words, he didn't say anything.
Jing Yun's heart trembled slightly, however. She looked at Lin Feng with a strange light in her eyes. This guy had gone to Heaven's Edge Cliff and returned with pills. It was very likely he had passed the trial of Heaven's Edge Cliff.
Han Man felt a cool stream flowing through his body. He opened his eyes and looked at Lin Feng without saying any words of gratitude. In his heart, just like in his body, a warm current flowed.
"Lin Feng." In just a few short days of getting along, these two words had already been engraved deep in Han Man's heart.
This guy could kill Jing Feng and bear the consequences alone, could share the beast cores he had worked hard to obtain with them, could erupt in fury for his friends and kill Jiang Huai and Jing Hao, and could even ascend Heaven's Edge Cliff alone to save him.
In less than a moment, Han Man clearly felt his body rapidly recovering. The tearing pain in his chest bones was gone, replaced by a slight tingling sensation, as if the broken bones were regenerating.
Jing Yun also saw Han Man's change. The bruises on his face quickly returned to a healthy color, making her open her mouth in surprise at the potency of the medicine.
"It really is a miraculous pill." Lin Feng naturally saw Han Man's change as well, and a relaxed smile appeared on his face.
"Han Man, take your time recovering. I have something to deal with, so I won't stay here with you."
Lin Feng said, then took out the pill bottle again, poured three pills into his hand, and handed them to Jing Yun. "Jing Yun, please look after him here. If his injuries aren't fully healed, continue giving him these pills."
"Alright, Lin Feng. Don't worry." Jing Yun took the pills from Lin Feng and replied. Then Lin Feng left.
Wind Cloud Gorge, Life and Death Platform. Lin Feng followed behind Hou Qing, looking at the countless sect disciples gathered around. He wondered what had happened here to bring so many people together.
And which elder wanted to see him? And for what reason?
"Sect Leader, Elder Mo, Lin Feng has been brought." Hou Qing brought Lin Feng before the Life and Death Platform and spoke respectfully to the people on the platform.
It was the Sect Leader, Nan Gong Ling, and the Great Elder, Mo Canglan!
Lin Feng's pupils contracted. He hadn't expected that the people who wanted to see him would be such important figures. His gaze swept across and he also saw Chu Zhanpeng and Lin Qian beside him. At this moment, Lin Qian was looking at him with a cold smile.
"Why is she here?"
"Lin Feng, do you know your crime?" A cold pressure descended upon Lin Feng. Mo Canglan's dark pupils fixed on him as he interrogated Lin Feng.
"Elder, I don't understand." Lin Feng's heart turned cold. Mo Canglan, as an inner sect elder, possessed immense strength. Even just ordinary pressure made Lin Feng uncomfortable.
"You don't understand? As a disciple, you don't know respect, you injure your brothers, and insult your elders. You are a disgrace and a scoundrel to Cloud Sea Sect, bringing shame to our sect." Mo Canglan was solidifying Lin Feng's charges. After all, he had agreed to hand Lin Feng over to Chu Zhanpeng for disposal. He had thought that an outer disciple was insignificant and no one would care, but he hadn't expected the arrival of Dapeng Gongzi to even alarm the Sect Leader.
To cover up his act of handing a sect disciple over to an outsider for punishment, he had no choice but to smear Lin Feng's name and then expel him from Cloud Sea Sect.
"A disgrace, a scoundrel, bringing shame to Cloud Sea Sect?" Hearing these words, Lin Feng's eyes narrowed slightly. He glanced at Lin Qian and vaguely understood something. But what he didn't understand was why Mo Canglan, as an elder of Cloud Sea Sect, would side with an outsider like Lin Qian. Although Lin Feng was an unknown outer disciple, he was still a member of Cloud Sea Sect.
"Why aren't you speaking? Feeling guilty?" Mo Canglan said coldly again when he saw Lin Feng silent.
"Elder, from the moment I arrived, you had already convicted me. I am just an outer disciple, insignificant and with little influence. Even if I were handed over to others, it would be of no consequence. Would speaking be of any use?" Lin Feng said calmly, his words carrying a hidden sting.
"Presumptuous!" Mo Canglan shouted. He hadn't expected Lin Feng's words to be so sharp. His calm tone concealed a barb, implying that the elder looked down on outer disciples and was making baseless accusations.
"As an elder of Cloud Sea Sect, I act impartially. You beast not only refuse to repent but now dare to talk back to an elder. Lin Feng, do you know your crime?"
"If I don't speak, you say I'm guilty because I'm feeling guilty. If I do speak, you say I'm arguing and talking back, which is also guilt. I, Lin Feng, dare to ask the elder: what impartiality are you acting on, and for whom are you acting?" Lin Feng's eyes blazed with cold light as he shouted, every word piercing the heart!
From the moment he arrived, Mo Canglan had already convicted him—a disrespectful scoundrel—and then called him a beast. Lin Feng understood that the other party was clearly targeting him. If he humbly yielded, he was guilty. If he fought back, he was also guilty. Since that was the case, why should he endure humiliation and swallow his anger!
Facing the crowd of Cloud Sea Sect, Lin Feng's gaze met Mo Canglan's directly, without flinching.